Electric-lamp regulator



(ModeL) B. BREWER & G. WATERHOUSE.

ELEGTRIU LAMP REGULATOR.

Patented Mar. 7,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN B. BREWER AND ADDISON G. \YATERHOUSE, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONEFOURTH TO \V. S. JOHNSTON, OF SAME PLACE, AND RICHARD \V. TULLY,

OF STOCKTON, OA LIFORNIA ELECTRIC-LAMP REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,762, dated March 7, 1882.

Application filed October 11, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN B. BREWER and ADDISON G. WATERHOUSE, both of the city of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Lamp Regulators; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to to which it appertains to make and use it, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention relates tothat class of electric lamps in which the feed of the carbons proportionately to their consumption is effected by gravity, and more especially to those in which the upper carbon is carried by a rack bar controlled in its downward movement by a train of gear-wheels, with which it engages by means of a pinion fixed to one of the shafts of the train, or by other equivalent means, such as by a cord wound around theshaft and attached to the holder. In this type of lamp,

I as is well known, the feed is. regulated by the variations in the attraction of one or more eleotro-magnets, which effect the release or stoppage of the feed mechanism by the movement of an armature, which brings a detent into engagement with oneof thetrain of wheels,

or, conversely,brings the train into engagement with a fixed detent. These lamps are objectionable on account of certain inherent defects, which we will now proceed to point out.

In rack-and-pinion lamps, or their equiva lents, where the train of wheels or similar devices for reducing the motion of the carbonholder is raised or lowered by the attraction of a magnetinto engagement with a detent, a considerable expenditure of force is required in overcoming the inertia of the parts, and this fact, taken in connection with the impossibility of eflecting as rapid changes in the strength 5 of the regulating-magnets as is desired, precludes the possibility of ever attaining to that extreme nicety of feed by the devices hitherto employed that an absolutely steady light requires. When, for instance, the train is re- (Model-l leased from the deteut by a weakening of the current, the time that elapses before the two are again brought into engagementis generally sufficient for the carbons to feed too far, and this is attended by an unsteadiness in the light and a loud hissing noise in the arc. Various expedients have been suggested as a remedy for this defect, the chief of which are to extend the train of wheels, and thus further reduce the motion, and to bring to bear a force or pressure upon one portion of the train such as would be equivalent in its action toa brake mechanism. The first is objectionable from the expense of a long train of wheels, and also from the additional power required in impelling them. The second means results at best 6 in an uneven motion in the train, besides requiring also a greater impclling-power.

From the foregoing it is apparent that to obtain a steady and even feed in this class of lamps it is necessary to apply to some of its moving parts mechanism that will operate purely and simply as a retarding device, and one which, without adding materially to the force required to move the train of wheels, will restrict them to a slow and even motion. This end we have attained by the combination, with the train of wheels above described, of time-escapement mechanism, the construction and operation of which, together with other mechanical details involved in its application, are hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an interior view of the case containing the feed-regulating mechanism of a raclcand-pinion lamp. Fig.2 is a sectional elevation of the same, showing the escapement and detent mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the escapement with afixed detent. Fig. 4 shows a completed lamp with means for suspending the same.

M is a box or case for containing the feedregulating devices, consisting in the main of helix H and core 0, to which is attached a lever, a, by a flexible or swinging connection. Lever c is pivoted to an arm secured to a frame, 5 F F, which arm forms one of two guides, g g, for a tube, T, the other being located at the bottom of the case. The short end of lever a engages with a flexible strip, Z, connected to tube T. The tube, which slides freely in its guides g g, is provided with a box, B, containing one or more gear-wheels, constituting a train, the first member of which carries on its shaft a pinion, P, which meshes with a rackbar, B, to which is fixed the upper carbon, E, by a suitable clamp, B.

The pinion P is carried by a shaft, which is connected to a gear-wheel, D, by a pawl and ratchet, (represented by D,) so that it is free to turn without rotating the wheel D when the rack-bar It is raised, but causes D to rotate when the rack It descends.

The rack-bar B is made round, and its teeth are cut spirally around it, or in the form of a screw-thread of sufficient depth to fit the teeth ofP. The advantages gained by this construction are that its teeth can be easily cut witha screw-die, and that by turning it around to the right or left it can be screwed up or down on the pinion I, which is often necessary in adjusting the carbon electrodes.

The wheel D meshes with a small pinion (not shown) which drives the ratchet-wheel y, which in turn oscillates the rod to and fly-wheel to, fixed thereto. This form of escapement is known as the cylinder-escapement, and its application to an electric lamp such as we have described is attended by new results hitherto unattainable, from the fact that it has no deadpoint, and it stopped will readily start again from any and all positions in which it may be placed.

0 is a fixed adjustable detent secured to the stationary frame of the lamp in position to engage with the escapement, and to prevent its further movement when the requisite feed of the carbons has been obtained. S is a spring attached to box B, the tension of which is regulated by nut S. By it a counteracting force to the attraction of the magnets is obtained, and it may be adjusted as desired to regulate the length of the are.

To the core 0 is attached a tail-piecc,f, ending in a head,f, which works in a cylinder, (1, and serves to keep the core 0 in a central position in the helix H. When so desired, the cylinder (1 may be filled with oil or other-liquid for serving as a dash-pot to prevent a too rapid movement of the core 0.

Instead of bringing the train of wheels into engagement with the fixed detent, it is obvious that the detent may be movable and brought by an armature into engagement with the train or its escapement, as is shown in Fig. 5. In this case the electro-magnet H operates a movable spring supported armature, O, which, when depressed, interposes the detent as and checks the oscillation of the fly-wheel w.

The operation of this lamp is as follows: The carbons being supposed to be normally in contact, the current is directed through the lamp. The core 0 is drawn down into the helix 11, carrying with it the long end of lever a. The effect of this is to raise the tube T, box B, with its clock mechanism, and the rack-bar It.

The detent c is by this means brought into engagem ent with the escapement w and prevents the oscillation of the same, thus maintaining the separation of the carbons. These latter are gradually consumed, thus increasing the length of the are and interposing an increased resistance in the circuit. In response to this the core 0 is lifted out of the helix, as the feeding devices, by their preponderating weight and the tension of spring S, fall until the es capement is released from the detent. The train instantly begins to revolve slowly and steadily and the carbon-holder to descend until, the required length of are being re-established, the helix again recovers its attractive powers and draws up the tube T to check the motion of the gears carried thereby. This operation is repeated until no portion of the carbons remains unconsnmed.

Having thus described our invention, we wish it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise forms illustrated in the foregoing, for it is obvious that without departing at all from the spirit of our invention we may vary the construction of the several parts in many ways-such, for instance, as by different relative arrangements of the electromagnet and clock mechanism, or by the means of connecting the carbon-holder with the train of controlling-wheels.

. What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric lamp, the combination, with the carbon-carrier, of an electro-magnet, an armature, and a train of wheels sustained thereby and gearing with the said carboivcarrier, a time-escapei'nent consisting of a click-wheel, 0, and an oscillating pallet or verge and detent mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a regulator for electric lights, the tube T, with box B, containing gearing controlled by a time-escapement, and the controlling rod or detent c, in combination with the electromagnetic helix H, core 0, lever a, and link I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in an electric lamp, with the gravitating carbon-carrier, of an electromagnet, an armature, and train of wheels sustained thereby and gearing with the said carbon-carrier, a cylinder-escapement consisting of the cylinder-wheel a oscillating spindle in and balance-wheel, and a stationary detent, a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

at. The combination, with the carbon-holder It, having spiral or threaded teeth, of a pinion, 1?, for controlling the position of the electrode E and allowing the same to be turned for adjustment, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the rod B, tube T, guides g g, frame F, flexible connecting-link I, and lever a with an electro-magnet and its armature, as described.

BENJAMIN B. BREWER. ADDISON G. IVATERHOUSE. Witnesses:

Enw. OADWALADER, CHAS. It. Pansons.

IIO 

